


Shogi

by TheSandman



Category: Naruto
Genre: Action/Adventure, Friendship/Love, Gen, Mystery, POV Nara Shikamaru, idk how to tag, pg13, some reference to NSFW content nothing explicit though, some swears
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-12
Updated: 2020-10-14
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:40:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26978236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSandman/pseuds/TheSandman
Summary: Nara Shikamaru learns a startling secret that his mentor has been hiding from everyone for 12 years. This story follows the POV of Shikamaru as he tries to learn the truth for the protection of his village and the world. With the help of the rest of Cell 10 he battles his way through mental blocks, controlling adults and restrictions, he perseveres with the will of fire burning white in his soul.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	1. Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shikamaru learns a startling secret from his mentor, Sarutobi Asuma, that may change the village forever...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fanfiction was inspired by the manga series Naruto, it follows the footsteps of my favorite character Nara Shikamaru.

Shikamaru sighed as he looked at the board. "Finally stumped are we?" Sarutobi Asuma met eyes with Shikamaru. 

"Haven't you heard of a poker face? Check." Asuma got up from the ground to stretch his legs and light a cigarette. 

"The intelligence of Nara Shikamaru matches that of his own mentor. A brain like yours hasn't been seen for a while. Not since Lord Fourth died." His mentor had told Shikamaru this story a thousand times, it was when the Nine Tailed Fox attacked Konohagakure. But this time was different.

"Nara" he never called Shikamaru that unless he was about to tell him something serious, "That night, 12 years ago..." he paused, shook his head and met Shikamaru's eyes with a cold intensity. "That night 12 years ago something wasn't right and I knew it. We all knew it, those Chuunin and Jounin that were in the heat of battle felt it as soon as we stepped outside the village." Shikamaru squeezed the pillow he was sitting on, he gulped as slowly as he could so that Asuma sensei wouldn't notice. 

"We were all prepared for death, the will of fire burned strongly in all of us. While my team was racing around the side of the beast I saw something on it's head. A man. A man standing on top of the Nine Tailed Fox. I couldn't beleive that I actually saw this so I leaped to the top of the tree I was on to get a better look. As the fox came closer it became clear that I was not mistaken. I was frozen on the spot, unable to move." 

Shikamaru was shaking at the thought that this attack 12 years ago was not random, but a coordinated attack on Konoha. All these thoughts rushed to his head, 'someone can control the Nine Tailed Fox?' 'Who would be powerful enough to?' 'Is this mystery man still alive?' 'Would an attack like this happen again?'. Asuma read Shikamaru's face well enough to know that it is time to stop. He smiled and crossed his arms, "But who knows if that was just the fear getting to my head? For all I know it was probably some strangely shaped hair out of place on the beasts head, don't you just hate a bad hair day?". 

Shikamaru got up, thanked Asuma for the game and walked home, hands in his pockets, head down. Asuma knew he traumatized the kid, he's always got such a tough guy act on. Now he looks like a horse calf learning to walk. 

"Give it some time," Asuma said to himself, "we'll make something of you yet."


	2. Freak Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shikamaru and Chouji come up with a plan to find out if this "Mystery Man" truly exists. The answer lies in the Konoha library photographic records. But this area is restricted, how will they get in?

Shikamaru's day started as it normally would with a late sleep in, but it all went down hill from there. Shikamaru got out of bed, his movements smooth and graceful, his face emotionless and content. While getting himself dressed he started out at Lord Fourth's face on Hokage Rock. He noticed a crack in the left eye, he saw it as that final puzzle piece lost under the treacherous couch for eternity. 

The Nara family sat at the breakfast table in an eerie silence.

"What is it boy?" Shikaku asked rudely.

"Nothing, not like I'd share with you anyway."

"What was that boy! You'd better pull your head out of your ass before a push it in further!"

Shikamaru jumped back in his seat, knocking his breakfast onto the floor. Shikaku sighed, "Fine, you don't have to get help from your old man. Just remember that I'm here no matter how shitty a mood you're in." 

Shikamaru's mind eased with the tender love of a father. He smiled at retrieved his breakfast from the floor. "NOW YOU'D BETTER GET TO SCHOOL BEFORE YOU'RE LATE!!!"

"GAH!"

"Hey Shikamaru, you ok? It's third period shouldn't you be on your fourth nap by now?"

Shikamaru turned his head to face Chouji's. "I'm not tired." Shikamaru slouched forward and rested his head on the table, staring at the picture he had drawn in his text book. The man on the fox. Shikamaru's eyes widened. Suddenly realising the dire situation Konohagakure may be in. He sat up, and crossed his legs on the chair. He formed a circle with his hands and closed his eyes, concentrating, thinking, doing. 

Shikamaru was completed zoned out, nothing could distract him. 

"Alright class, time for your jutsu test. Haruno Sakura," Iruka sensei called Sakura to the front of the class to perform her transformation jutsu. "Akamichi Chouji," Chouji completed the task by transforming into a pork roast. "Uzumaki Naruto," The whole class sighed as they waited for Naruto to screw up. 

"Alright you guys! I'm going to master this with perfection! Hehehe." Naruto transformed into the Hokage, but he was severely deformed. The whole class started screaming and teasing Naruto, Shikamaru opened his eyes and glared at Naruto. 

"NARUTO YOU IDIOT I WAS TRYING TO CONCENTRATE!!! TRY AND NOT SCREW UP FOR A CHANGE!!!" The whole class went silent and looked at Shikamaru who made his way up to the front of the class. 'POOF' he had transformed into the spitting image of his father, 'POOF' he returned back to his original form. He kept a tough guy act on, not willing to show any weakness to his peers. Chouji however, he knew something was wrong. 

Lunch came and Shikamaru watched Sakura and Ino squabble over Sasuke, and he comes, right on time. The guy is a machine, he's always in the same place at the same time everyday. 8am arrives at school, 8:15am goes to his locker and organizes his things, 8:30am heads to class with everyone else, for the rest of the day he goes to classes at lunch he sits at the same park bench by the wall. 10 minutes after sitting down to eat he walks by Sakura and Ino as if to entice their fighting. 5 before the end of lunch he goes to class. On the weekends he's always up at 5am training in the park for 9 hours straight. He intimidates even Naruto, the hot headed loser that breaks down any wall no matter how thick. You have to have respect for them both honestly, their not that much different.

"You wanna talk about it?" Chouji had approached Shikamaru during lunch time. 

"Talk about what?" Shikamaru looked up at Chouji and gave him a big grin.

"You might be fooling everyone else with your tough guy act, but it's not fooling me. I know you better than your own mother, you think you can hide from me?" Shikamaru's grin slowly faded away. He faced forward back in Ino and Sakura's direction. 

"Not now Chouji, meet me in the roof after school and we'll talk. "The day went as it usually would with, apart from Shikamaru's extra lack of focus during class. 

3:30pm rolled around and Chouji finally made his way to the roof. "What took you so long? I've been waiting for half an hour!"

"Sorry, I had to restock on supplies." Chouji was happily munching away on a bag of potato chips. 

"Is that a new brand?"

"Yeah, but it's not worth buying again..." Shikamaru reached in and grabbed a chip before Chouji could react. 

"Hey!" Shikamaru ate the chip, his eyes opened wide.

"THESE ARE THE BEST CHIPS I'VE EVER EATEN!!! THESE ALMOST MADE ME FORGET ABOUT THE DIRE SITUATION OUR VILLAGE IS IN!" Chouji stopped eating his chips. His hands frozen in the bag. Shikamaru looked at Chouji, Chouji looked at him. He gulped and tried to form some words.

"D-d-d-dire?" 

Shikamaru sighed. He told Chouji everything. 

"Chouji? Are you ok?" Chouji smashed out 5 bags of chips in 20 seconds, a new personal best. Shikamaru saw him shaking, exactly what he did at the news.

"Who could, who has, power. Who can control such a powerful monster?"

"I don't know Chouji, but I want to find out." Their eyes met.

Shikamaru puffed out his chest, threw back his shoulders and stood up. He took a deep breath out and looked down at Chouji. 

"I have a plan."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am trying my best to make these chapters beefy. They will hopefully get bigger and more exciting in later chapters.


	3. The Stairway To Hell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sasuke gets involved!?!?!?!?!? A scrape with the law and the almost death of an innocent bystander.

"The library opens at 9am and closes at 6pm. Exceptions for Jounin and above. We need to go in during these times to avoid suspicion."

"Ok well lets go now then." 

Shikamaru sighed, "It's not that easy. We need to see photo records of but they are restricted to Chuunin level ninja and above that are at least 15 years old. We can't just waltz in their." Shikamaru and Chouji sat in Shikamaru's room for what seemed like ages in silence. They sprawled out across the floor staring out the window to Hokage Rock. 

"Chouji! I got it!"

"You do?" Chouji looked at Shikamaru with confusion, completely confuzzled as to how they could get in.

"We use a transformation jutsu. I could transform into my dad, they wouldn't even want to check ID!" Shikamaru's face lit up at the thought of a mission before they had even graduated. The ceremony was next week, him and Chouji were in a cell together because of their dad's connections. Asuma was their mentor, they desperately hoped they got someone like Huga Neji, or Uchiha Sasuke in their cell. 

"Hey! Why don't I get to transform?"

"Because you suck at the transformation jutsu. I'll only have enough chakra for 10 minutes tops." Shikamaru thought the plan through, like when he would have to do it, he needed to make sure his dad wouldn't show up.

The next day at school the class was sorted into cells, Shikamaru, Chouji and Ino were sorted into cell 10 under Asuma sensei. And then cell 7. The screw up, the waste of space, and the cool guy (Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke). 

"Psssst! Hey Shikamaru." Shikamaru turned to face Chouji with a careless expression on his face.

"Ugh! What do you want Chouji?" Shikamaru was back to his no-care-what-so-ever-about-anything self. 

"Should we tell Ino? About you-know-what?" Chouji made a good point, the more help the better. But the boys don't even know much about Ino, she would just tell Sasuke and he would tell the Hokage or take matters into his own hands.

"No Chouji we can't. Just trust me I've thought it through, we'll talk more at lunch."

Sasuke glanced at Chouji and Shikamaru, he overheard their conversation. He decided to follow them at lunch to find out what was going on.

"So, when are we going to break in?"

"We're not breaking in! We're going to do some research. Anyway I figured it out. We'll do it before the graduation ceremony, my dad will be there so I won't bump into him. Then I'll just go in and take the book we need."

Little did the boys know that Sasuke was on the roof behind them listening in on everything. He pulled out a notepad and pen and jotted down these notes:

-Library break in  
-Before graduation  
-Not see dad?  
-Get book

It seemed strange to Sasuke that they needed a plan to retrieve a book from the library. And why Shikamaru couldn't run into his dad, maybe he would get into big trouble? No that doesn't make sense, all that made sense is that Sasuke needed to follow them outside of school and listen in on their conversations.

After last period Chouji and Shikamaru were outside their class talking about boy stuff. Little did they know that Sasuke was listening in not too far away, he had brought Ino to his locker for conversation as to not seem suspicious.

Shikamaru turned around and wished Chouji a good afternoon as he headed in Sasuke's direction out of the school. "Oh, Shikamaru!" Ino held one hand close to her chest as the other franticly waked at him, "Look at how great buddies me and Sasuke are! Hey are you going to see Asuma sensei? Can I come!"

"No Ino I'm not going to see Asuma, he's busy on a mission. It's not like I can ask the Hokage what he's doing." Shikamaru gave Ino a sarcastic smile and continued out the door. After he went out the gate Sasuke e2xcused himself from the conversation and followed in pursuit.

Shikamaru headed downtown into a convenience store and did what a normal teenage boy would do, hide in the back flipping through pornographic magazines. Sasuke stood on the other side of the street picking at gyoza in the perfect position to view Shikamaru at the back. He could see Shikamaru scribbling on the page, probably writing some smart ass jokes all over the boobs.

The cashier came back to see what he was doing considering he'd been back there for ten minutes. Who knew that Shikamaru would let himself get caught. 

Shikamaru exited the store with an unsettling grin on his face. His hands were in his pockets and his shirt messily tucked in at random spots. Sasuke entered the convenience store that Shikamaru had just exited. He went to the back to retrieve the magazine he had just been reading and flicked through. Strangely enough he found no scribbles or doodles of any kind. Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he noticed something faint on the pages. Indentations that you would see on the back page of a text book from the pressure you put on other pages with a pen.

Sasuke turned around and gripped the magazine tight, creasing the pages. He tossed the magazine to the ground and headed out the door in pursuit of Shikamaru. He was no where in sight, Sasuke decided to get some ramen and head home. The chase could wait for another day.

Shikamaru untucked his shirt while he opened the front gate of his home before his dad scolded him for being a "sorry excuse for a teachers pet". He was such a jerk sometimes. Doesn't have the balls to lose control for one second, it would drive him insane. That's half the reason Shikamaru never told his dad anything, the other part was because he just generally didn't want to.

As he entered his home the lights turned on and he saw his dad standing on the staircase holding his shoes. Shikaku walked down the remaining stairs and past Shikamaru out the door. Shikamaru just stood their slightly shaking with tears forming in his eyes, insulted. 

"Aren't you going to say anything!" Shikamaru was so loud that the Hokage could have heard him. 

Shikaku sighed, he slung his shoes over his shoulder holding on to them by the laces. "There's nothing to talk about." 

Shikamaru couldn't accept that, he stood there, heart full of anger and sadness.

"What am I to you!"

Shikaku stopped with his left hand on the gate. His head went down then back up, he turned around and walked towards his son. He grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him in for a hug. They both stood there and cried for what seemed like ages, Shikamaru slouched against his fathers chest. 

Their eyes met once again, and Shikaku was on his way. Shikamaru wiped the tears from his eyes and smiled. He went back inside and carefully shut the door his mum came in from the kitchen and frowned, "What's wrong?". Shikamaru charged at her and trapped her in a hug she couldn't escape from. 

The next day Shikamaru woke up early to get outside for a walk, it was Saturday so it didn't interrupt school at all. He walked through the park by where you would normally see Sasuke hard at work training his jutsu and kunai skills. But the ninja prodigy was no where to be seen. 

Shikamaru turned around as he heard a rustle in the tree behind him. A squirrel scurried down the tree trunk to a rubbish bin by a park bench. Shikamaru ran into Chouji on his way to the store to get some supplies, A.K.A chips, chocolate, pastries. They stopped and talked about things that boys talk about. 

Sasuke, who has been following Shikamaru, got closer to listen in on their conversation. 

"Hey Shikamaru!"

"Hi Chouji. What are you doing exercising?"

"Me!? Excersize? I think not, just restocking my mini fridge." Chouji gestured to his duffel bag, obviously used to carry his junk.

"Hey about the-" Shikamaru stopped Chouji.

"Yeah, my mum's fine. She got out of hospital yesterday." Chouji caught on and ran with it.

"That's goo to hear! Give here these for me." He pulled a chocolate croissant out of his duffel bag and handed it to Shikamaru. They parted and Shikamaru kept on walking through the park. 

He bent down acting as though he was looking at something he saw on the ground.

He started making hand signs to perform the Shadow Binding technique. Sasuke saw Shikamaru's shadow move, his eyes widened and he leapt out of the way before it reached him. He threw a kunai at Shikamaru but he threw back to deflect the other. 

They stood still for a while just looking at each other. 

"Why have you been following me?"

"Since when have you known?" Sasuke answered his question with another.

Shikamaru sighed, "You need to get stealthier, I first had suspicions when you were having a conversation with Ino."

"That was it?" Sasuke had a questioning look on his face with his hands in his pockets.

"No, my suspicions were confirmed when I saw across the road from the convenience store. You were at the perfect spot to see me right in the back. Then when I left it was 100% confirmed when you went in and flipped through the same magazine." Sasuke let out an evil giggle. 

"Clearly I was too careless, I doubted your intelligence Shikamaru."

"My turn! I get to ask a question now, why were you following me?" Shikamaru glared at Sasuke, he glared back.

"I over heard Chouji's comment to you in class about letting Ino in on something, and that you said it wasn't a good idea. That she would tell me and I would tell the Hokage or go rogue-" Shikamaru rudely interrupted Sasuke's story.

"Damn! Chouji and his loud mouth."

"As I was saying, I got suspicious and listened in on the greater conversation at lunch from the roof. I then got confused on why you needed a plan to get a book from the library. So, why do you need a plan? Why can't you see your dad? What book are you getting?" 

Shikamaru grinned and turned around and continued on walking. Sasuke through a kunai between his legs and leaped over his head. Silent insults were exchanged between the both of them. 

Shikamaru bent over to pick up the kunai, he stood up and looked at Sasuke. He threw the kunai up in the air and grabbed it in a more comfortable position. Then charged at Sasuke, he did the same.

They exchanged swipes with the kunai, a satisfying CLANG with each hit. Shikamaru did a back flip away from Sasuke and landed on the ground with his hand, a wall of dirt came up from the ground forcing Sasuke to leap away to the side. 

With the cover of the wall Shikamaru performed the signs for the Shadow Manipulation jutsu, as Sasuke came over the wall Shikamaru moved his shadow to try and get Sasuke. The shadow chased Sasuke for a good minute until Sasuke got out of range. Shikamaru stretched his Shadow as far as he could but still did not reach Sasuke.

What Sasuke didn't notice is that another shadow was going around him through the trees. Shikamaru kept desperately trying to reach Sasuke with his first shadow to keep him distracted.

"What are you playing at Shikamaru? You're too smart for this." Sasuke began to worry.

"Nothing."

"Then what are you doing?" 

Shikamaru smirked.

"Distracting you." 

Sasuke's eyes widened. He gasped as Shikamaru's second shadow reach him from behind. They stood up and walked through the park, as the early morning became morning, the sun began to rise. What Shikamaru didn't realise was that sun made his shadow weaker and his hold on Sasuke began to weaken. 

"So Sasuke, how does it feel to be beaten by me?"

Sasuke didn't respond. Shikamaru turned around to where Sasuke should have been standing.

"Over here!" He turned again to see that Sasuke was behind him. A grin told Sasuke that Shikamaru was expecting something like this.

"What else could I have expected? That I actually could beat you?" His grin disappeared. His hands moved in a flash. Sasuke did the same.

Shikamaru screamed, "Water style! Bullet jutsu!"

Sasuke called, "Fire style! Dancing Flower jutsu!"

Sasuke dodged Shikamaru's water bullet, and Shikamaru tried to dodge the coal sized balls of fire falling from the sky. The exchange of jutsu and kunai lasted for a good five minutes until Sasuke let his fire ball go, in twenty seconds almost the whole park was covered in flames. 

Sasuke and Shikamaru stopped fighting to search for injured or trapped civilians. 

"Hello! Is anyone here!"

"HELP!" Sasuke and Shikamaru turned and bolted in the direction of the cry. They raced through falling trees and burning logs to the sound of the voice. Shikamaru caught site of the citizens in danger. He noticed a large tree completely on fire about to fall in the couple.

"Sasuke!" 

"I see it!" he replied.

They both made the same signs, "WATER BULLET JUTSU!" the two bullets of water screamed through the blaze, it took a lot of chakra for the boys to make water bullets that big so they wouldn't evaporate. The bullets were only the size of basketballs by the time it reached the tree, enough to push a couple centimeters or so but not enough to prevent casualties. As the couple were running away they tree fell on top of the man's leg. The boys were using a water jet jutsu to put out the flame on the tree.

The medical ninja arrived and so did the police ninja. 

"Mhm" 2 police grabbed one of the boys each. 

"Hey! What's the big idea!" ordered Shikamaru.

The police ninja glared at Shikamaru, "Some people called us saying that you two were fighting and caused all this mess."

Shikamaru grumbled and allowed the police ninja to escort him away. Sasuke glared at Shikamaru and mouthed something that was indecipherable.

Shikaku was walked by the park while shopping to see what the commotion was about. His eyes widened and tears formed in his eyes as he saw his son being taken away by the police. Shikamaru saw him and looked down. Shikaku turned around and quickly walked of wiping away his tears. 

"Dad!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah Sasuke is stalking Shikamaru, I wanted to beef up the chapter and add some action/slow down the plot. Adding Sasuke in the chapter was an on the spot decision it wasn't part of the planning.


End file.
